Dissatisfaction at Wrigley

Sosa is so disgusted with the Cubs, he's looking for more than just better effort from his teammates. He wants some of them gone before next year.

"No question, they have to clean the house, including myself," Sosa said Monday before the Cubs emerged with a 3-2 victory over Montreal on Alex Gonzalez's third game-ending homer of the season.

"They have to bring in some new people next year, people who really want to go out and give it the effort we're looking for, including myself."

Although he repeatedly said "including myself," Sosa apparently doesn't mean that he wants to be traded. But he has threatened to file for free agency after the 2003 season if things don't improve.

"We've played poorly this year and I don't want to be in the same [position] next September, going home," he said. "Hopefully next year they'll clean up the mess. I don't care if I hit .200 next year. If we make the playoffs, I will be happy."

Sosa didn't point any fingers or single out whom should be replaced.

"I'm not a babysitter," he said. "We're all professionals here and we know we have a job to do. It doesn't matter if we're 20 games out of first place, you have to give the same effort every day."

Jim Hendry, who took over as general manager in July, has promised to make multiple changes in the off-season.

Asked recently if improving the bullpen was his No. 1 priority, he responded: "We have a lot of No. 1s."

As for Sosa's comments, Hendry responded: "I don't think Sammy's saying anything that we all don't feel or that I haven't already talked about with him.

"Yeah, we have to make some decisions, but it's not like you have to get rid of 20 of the 25 people. If you go through it name by name, they're a lot of good young players and pitchers here. You just have to get the right pieces of the puzzle."

One of those good, young pitchers went down with an injury Monday, but it's not believed to be serious. Right-hander Matt Clement left the game in the fifth inning with lower back spasms.

"I started to feel it in the second [inning]my lower back was aching," Clement said. "I stretched between innings but was basically throwing [batting practice]. That's what a major-league hitter does when you lob one up to him.

"Hopefully this is just a spasm and I'll be able to go back out there in five days."

Another quality young player, Corey Patterson, came through Monday with his first career pinch-hit home run. Patterson, riding the bench because of a 7-for-58 slump, gave the Cubs a 2-1 lead that wouldn't last.

Kyle Farnsworth allowed the Expos to tie the game in the eighth. Farnsworth, pitching for the first time in a week because of personal problems, ineffectiveness and slight stiffness in his right shoulder, gave up a walk and two hits before Kimm finally pulled him.